08 May 2012

There were few migrants on the
morning of the eighth of May at St Davids Hd, apart from a trickle of Hirundines, a Swift and Redpoll (sp) over. Then it all turned around when I flushed a large
yellow bird from a gorse bank. Golden Oriole and Green Woodpecker went through
my mind almost simultaneously (both equally rare in Pembs). The bird remained
in sight as it flew about 50 metres and landed on top of, then dropped into, another
gorse and bramble patch. As it perched up I could see a large hairy
caterpillar hanging from its bill.

It was clearly a female or 1st Summer male Golden
Oriole.

I hung around for an hour and a half or so till someone else arrived,
seeing it briefly once more back at the original site. This time it flew into a
spindly bush before dropping down into gorse and blackthorn. Again, it was
carrying what appeared to be a large caterpillar. I thought I had it well pinned down in a reasonably small area but when people arrived it soon became clear that it had moved on. How it had managed to sneak away I don't know but apparently it isn't unusual for them to be elusive even in limited cover As I walked through the area I noticed a number of large, hairy caterpillars underfoot, it wasn't going to be hungry.

The first flight views were
dominated by the lower back and rump which were a very bright lemon yellow.

The flight itself was smooth and
swift, quite unlike a woodpecker’s. The overall impression of shape was sleek
and aerodynamic, it's something I've noted before. The Mercedes of the bird world.

The
overall impression was bright yellow and green. The wings and tail pattern lacking strong dark tones and adding to the sleek and bright appearance.

The wings and upper back mantle
were, therefore, contrastingly darker. I could see the head was pale yellowish with a dark angular eyestripe, broad at the eye. The
bill shape was obvious, long and strong with an
obviously curved culmen adding to a pointed effect. Very striking.

This sighting was part of an influx nationally, there were two other records in Pembs during may. Perhaps the best season ever.